Publication: Clinical Sequencing Uncovers Origins and Evolution of Lassa Virus
Open/View Files
Date
2015
Authors
Published Version
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier BV
The Harvard community has made this article openly available. Please share how this access benefits you.
Citation
Andersen, Kristian G., B. Jesse Shapiro, Christian B. Matranga, Rachel Sealfon, Aaron E. Lin, Lina M. Moses, Onikepe A. Folarin, et al. 2015. Clinical Sequencing Uncovers Origins and Evolution of Lassa Virus. Cell 162, no. 4: 738–750. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.07.020.
Research Data
Abstract
The 2013-2015 West African epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) reminds us how little is known about biosafety level-4 viruses. Like Ebola virus, Lassa virus (LASV) can cause hemorrhagic fever with high case fatality rates. We generated a genomic catalog of almost 200 LASV sequences from clinical and rodent reservoir samples. We show that whereas the 2013-2015 EVD epidemic is fueled by human-to-human transmissions, LASV infections mainly result from reservoir-to-human infections. We elucidated the spread of LASV across West Africa and show that this migration was accompanied by changes in LASV genome abundance, fatality rates, codon adaptation, and translational efficiency. By investigating intrahost evolution, we found that mutations accumulate in epitopes of viral surface proteins, suggesting selection for immune escape. This catalog will serve as a foundation for the development of vaccines and diagnostics.
Description
Other Available Sources
Keywords
Terms of Use
This article is made available under the terms and conditions applicable to Open Access Policy Articles (OAP), as set forth at Terms of Service